DPP plays tribal card, condemned

Former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) continue to play its trump card – tribal politics – by peddling claims that President Joyce Banda is targeting members of Mulhako Wa Alhomwe group for victimisation.

This follows the sacking of top officials in government who were loyalists of the late president Bingu wa Mutharika and all belong to the Alhomwe heritage group.

Through its mouth-piece, DPP claim there is nepotism in the new administration. Ironically, the DPP government was accused of nepotism and tribalism.

Late Mutharika came under consistent fire from civil society organisations, opposition politicians, religious leaders and cooperating partners to check nepotism in the public service. One of the civil society leaders Billy Malaya is on record accusing Mutharika of practising “naked nepotism.”

Mwanamvekha: Head of Mulhako wa Alhomwe, a Lhomwe Cultural Heritage Group

The DPP accuses Tumbuka’s from the northern region of having hatred against the Lhomwes.

The claims stem from the fact that President Banda has fired Mulakho members who include police chief Peter Mukhito, Reserve Bank governor Perks Ligoya, Secretary to treasury Joseph Mwanamvekha and Patricia Kaliati, the information minister who publicly insisted that president Mutharika was alive more than a day after his death.

There has also been calls for Chief Justice Lovemore Munlo to resign as Judicial Service Commission chairman following his alleged role in the Constitution coup plot. Also being asked to resign are Finance Minister Ken Lipenga and Lloyd Muhara the Commissioner General of Malawi Revenue Authority. They are embroiled in the ‘budget-gate’ scandal.

But the DPP mouthpiece was silent on moves by President Banda to maintain performing Lhomwes in strategic positions like the appointment of Charles Chuka as central bank boss and maintaining Elvis Thodi at Immigration Department including other Lhomwes in various top jobs.

Commenting on his social network page, Joshua Chisa Mbele, a regular observer and commentator on political development in Malawi, did not miss his words on DPP propaganda piece, saying it is a ridicule to the nation.

“To reduce the obvious that we all know of the recent as nothing but northern agenda against Lhomwes is profound stupidity. I’m Yao from Salima. I certainly don’t buy into your tribal propaganda,” he condemned the article.

“Political mediocrity is when anybody from Mulakho or Muhako climbs a mountain and cries foul that Joyce Banda is targeting a particular tribe.

“President Banda is actually, regrettably so, dismantling anything with ethnicity flavour. How could one on earth put all key people from one tribe in a country as diverse as Malawi? Here we are dealing with Bingu’s unscrupulous acts of looting of state resources which were made easier with the help of tribesmen deliberately positioned in strategic touch-points of state institutions.”

Chisa Mbele added: “If for whatever reasons anybody believes an exclusive club based on ethnicity can be established and govern Malawi that is a wishful thinking. DPP was set to lose election in 2014 for driving such agenda. The signs were on the wall. “

He went further to say: “Those that fear Tumbukas, they do so out of ignorance. Tumbukas cannot blindly drive that agenda for simpler reason, they know solid truth. Numbers are not on their side. Simple. Secondly, to drive it through any backdoor would be political suicide. “

Chisa Mbele said late Mutharika “with impunity, set a bad tone and gave Lhomwe tribe a very bad name as it also left a very bad taste in many Malawians.”

He however noted that “it’s not all Lhomwes that benefited. Bingu was an excessive opportunists. “

Mbele said “tribal politics will never see the day, not in Malawi,” arguing that the country’s Constitution is a beautiful piece of equalizer.